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WASHINGTON — Partisan rancor between Congress and the Obama administration about broad outlines of the federal budget place at a crossroads the proposed $1 billion livestock research laboratory earmarked for Kansas State University.

A lurching series of cautionary and reversible steps have been taken toward creation of the National Bio- and Agro-Defense Facility since Manhattan was selected as site of the top-secret lab in December 2008.

Trepidation at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security about releasing money earmarked for federal research and development, fueled at the moment by a controversial law initiating across-the-board cuts March 1, led the agency to padlock $40 million for a power plant and $50 million for construction at NBAF. Second-guessing of Homeland Security's decision to locate the lab in the middle of the nation's cattle belt led to supplemental assessments that appear to have satisfied most critics.

"The problem is we're in very dire straits in regards to the funding for everything," said U.S. Sen. Pat Roberts, who raised an alarm about animal disease security more than 10 years ago. "We've been able to secure enough funding year by year to keep it going."

In a series of interviews, the entire Kansas congressional delegation expressed confidence a facility dedicated to studying the planet's most exotic viruses would open in Manhattan.

These Republicans agreed Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano was obligated to release all money previously set aside for the project. They believe a national security argument could be made for Democratic President Barack Obama to insert new appropriations for NBAF in his upcoming budget request to Congress.

Several members of the delegation sense Obama will step forward with additional resources, which would be a reversal from the 2012 budget leaving NBAF out of the mix.

"The rumors are there is money in the budget," said U.S. Sen. Jerry Moran. "This is a huge issue for Kansas."

U.S. Rep. Lynn Jenkins, who serves Topeka and the 2nd District, said Napolitano told her the looming automatic government cuts, known as the "sequester" in Washington-speak, could upend progress on NBAF.

"She was perfectly clear, at that point, sequester is not our friend," Jenkins said. "I wouldn't be at all surprised to see them wait and see what happens. If the sequester kicks in, they're going to have to reprioritize."

The four representatives and two senators also revealed the final package may require Kansas taxpayers to sweeten the state's investment in NBAF beyond $140 million placed on the table. So far, state officials haven't made public the scope of an inflated contribution.

"Maybe Kansas has to put a little more money in that the original plan didn't call for," said U.S. Rep. Mike Pompeo, of the 4th District encompassing Wichita. "It makes sense for America, not just Kansas. Ultimately, that will drive us to get NBAF constructed."

U.S. Rep. Tim Huelskamp, representing the agriculture-heavy 1st District, as well as Manhattan, said absence of a state-of-the-art lab such as NBAF meant future research pivotal to national security would be conducted in other countries.

"That means we are farming out our research to protect the largest industry in Kansas and one of the biggest sectors of the entire American economy," Huelskamp said.

NBAF would replace the federal government's high-risk biological research facility in Plum Island, N.Y., which was constructed in the 1950s and deemed inadequate to engage in new "bio-safety level 4" research on animal diseases, including those capable of being transferred to humans.

NBAF would be built on a 56-acre site — ownership was transferred to Homeland Security last month — on the north side of K-State’s campus. The 500,000-square-foot facility would be operated by Homeland Security in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

K-State emerged as the preferred site following a two-year selection review producing 29 potential locations and six finalists. Kansas State currently operates a "level 3" bio-security research institute next to the NBAF site.

The state of Kansas committed $105 million to construction of NBAF and $35 million for research. Construction, commissioning and accreditation of NBAF could take as many as eight years. The project is expected to create 325 permanent jobs while delivering billions of dollars in economic impact to the region.

"I still feel very positive NBAF is going to go forward," said U.S. Rep. Kevin Yoder, who serves the 3rd District dominated by Johnson and Wyandotte counties. "Funding for programs such as NBAF provide long-term security for our nation to combat bio-terrorism and protect our food supply."

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The full Intelligence Committee met Nov. 9 for a briefing from staff, but according to Senate sources close to the Intel Committee, the task force is �unable to provide a timeline for Phase II completion.�

Phase II is the second part of a larger investigation into pre-war planning and post-invasion failures. Phase I focused primarily on intelligence failures by the CIA, while Phase II focuses on five specific areas of inquiry:

-Whether public statements and reports and testimony regarding Iraq by U.S. Government officials made between the Gulf War period and the commencement of Operation Iraqi Freedom were substantiated by intelligence information;

-The postwar findings about Iraq's weapons of mass destruction and weapons programs and links to terrorism and how they compare with prewar assessments;

-Prewar intelligence assessments about conditions to be expected in postwar Iraq;

-Any intelligence activities relating to Iraq conducted by the Policy Counterterrorism Evaluation Group (PCTEG) and the Office of Special Plans within the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Policy; and

-The use by the Intelligence Community of information provided by the Iraqi National Congress (INC).

Left out of this article, is the fact that even Republican leadership, especially John Boehner, can't stand Tiny Tim Toolskamp, and is in no hurry to provide funding for any project occurring in the 1st district, since Tim opposes any spending anywhere else in America. Sorry folks, you voted for him. When you lie with dogs, you get fleas.

This is a pork barrel project that should be delayed or eliminated because of the tremendous US budget deficit. There is already an Animal Disease Center on Plum Island. Why should we build another one? Where is the courage in Kansas to say no to wasteful federal spending? We should create jobs in the private sector and not depend on government money to improve our economy. Kansas needs more entrepreneurs, more business investment, not more bureaucrats and government.

Senator Roberts needs to take a hint from Pope Benedict and resign. He is old and out of touch. He opposes Chuck Hagel's nomination for no good reason, opposed Bob Dole on the U.N. disability bill, and opposes anything President Obam wants to try and accomplish, just for the sake of opposing it. The guy needs to go.

The old saying what goes around comes around. Well now, Kansas representataives are all interested in funding a project for Ks. They haven't been concerned before about any budget cuts that would affect middle class working folks here. How does it feel to have the funding delayed for your interests? Welcome to politics. Serves you right.

Fact #1: The proposed NBAF in Manhattan will study far more than cows (which have nothing to do with human health). This is a bio defense project (germ warfare). Want to see a preview of coming attractions? Check out Ft. Detrick MD and the town surrounding it (Frederick MD).

Fact #2: The $1 billion price tag for construction is just a beginning. The real fact is that the cost to operate the facility throughout its 50 year life-span is $16 billion to $20 billion. Pretty big handout to those opposed to "Big Government" and "Fiscal Responsibility".

Fact #3: The study of Foot and Mouth Disease is only a "Crop Insurance" for the cattle industry and has nothing to do with "Food Safety". For "food safety"- go on a diet.

Yes, Pat Roberts did have a real job- that of being president for a day. Do you remember him in "Crimson Sky"?

A simulated outbreak of the disease in 2002--part of an earlier U.S. government exercise called "Crimson Sky"--ended with fictional riots in the streets after the simulation's National Guardsmen were ordered to kill tens of millions of farm animals, so many that troops ran out of bullets. In the exercise, the government said it would have been forced to dig a ditch in Kansas 25 miles long to bury carcasses. In the simulation, protests broke out in some cities amid food shortages.

"It was a mess," said Sen. Pat Roberts, R-KS, who portrayed the president in that 2002 exercise. Now, like other lawmakers from the states under consideration, Roberts supports moving the government's new lab to his state. Manhattan, Kan., is one of five mainland locations under consideration. "It will mean jobs" and spur research and development, he says.

Yes, Pat Roberts did have a real job- that of being president for a day. Do you remember him in "Crimson Sky"?

A simulated outbreak of the disease in 2002--part of an earlier U.S. government exercise called "Crimson Sky"--ended with fictional riots in the streets after the simulation's National Guardsmen were ordered to kill tens of millions of farm animals, so many that troops ran out of bullets. In the exercise, the government said it would have been forced to dig a ditch in Kansas 25 miles long to bury carcasses. In the simulation, protests broke out in some cities amid food shortages.

"It was a mess," said Sen. Pat Roberts, R-KS, who portrayed the president in that 2002 exercise. Now, like other lawmakers from the states under consideration, Roberts supports moving the government's new lab to his state. Manhattan, Kan., is one of five mainland locations under consideration. "It will mean jobs" and spur research and development, he says.